The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-03-17
CHRISTIAN perseverance,.

lfr. Moody Tells Of Trying but viete.
rlous Fight with . Stubborn 1nhdeL
There was a terribly wicked man who
kept saloon, whose children I was
very anxious to have come TO my Sab.
bath-school. So one day I called on
this man and said: "Mr. Bell, want
you to let your children como to the
Sabbath-school." He was terribly
angry. said he did not believe in the
Bible. school or any thing else, and or
dercd me to leave the house.
Soon after I went down again and
called on this man, and asked him to
60 to church, and again he was angry.
He said he had not been at church for
nineteen years, and would never 20
again, and he would rather see his boy
drunkard and his daughter harlot
than that they should attend the Sab
bath-school. A second time 1 was
forced to leave the house.
Two or three days after I called
again. and he snid: "Well, I guess you
are a pretty good sort Of q man, and
different from the rest of Christians, or
you would not come back" So, see
ing him in good humor, I asked him
what he had to say against Christ, and
II he had read His life! And he asked
me what had to say against Paine
"Age of Reason" and if I had read it.
! said / had not read it, whereupon he
said he would read tho New Testament
If I would read the cage Of Reason"
to which I at once agreed, though he
had the best Of the bargain; and I did
SO. I asked Mr.. Bell to come to
church, but he said they were all hypo-
critics that went to church. This
he would do however: I might
come to his house, If I liked.
and preach. "H"re. in this saloon!'
Eyes! but look here. you arc not to
do all the talking;" he sold that he and
his friends won d have their say as
we'll as I. Iagrecd that thoy might
have the first forty-five minutes, and I
the last fifteen of tho hour. which he
thought fair. and that was settled. The
day came, and 1 went to keep my up
pointment. but nevor, in all my life,
met such crowd rs whom. on the day
appointed, I went to that saloon; such
collection Of infidels. deists, repro
bates of all kinds I never saw before.
Their oaths and language were horri-
BILE. Some of them seemed as IL they
had come on leave of absence from
the pit. I never was SO near hell
before. They began to talk In the
most blasphenous way. some thought
one thing, some another; some believed
there was O God, othcrs not; some
thought there was such man as Jesus
Christ, others there never was; some
didn't believe any thing. They couldn't
agree, contradicted each other. and
very nearly came to fighting with one
another before the time had expired.
Ihad brought down little boy. sn
orphan. with me, and when I saw and
heard such hasphemy thought had
done wrong to bring him there. When
their time was up l said that we Chris
tians always began services with prayer
to God. Hold" said they. 1.-TWO must
be agreed first" I" well. here are
two Of u.s." And so I prayed. and the
little boy did so. I never heard
prayer like that in all my life. 1t
seemed rs II God was speaking through
that little boy. With tenrs running
down his cheeks he besought God, for
Christ's sake, to tako pity on all these
poor men, and that went to their very
hearts; l heard sobs throughout the
hall, and one infidel went out of this
door and another at that; and then
Mr. Bell came up to me and said: "You
can have my children, Mr.. Moody"
And the best friend have in Chicago
to-day is that same Joshua Bell, and
his son has come out for Christ and Is
. worker for Him. m.--ChriStian States
man.